I just finished reading Toni Morrison’s book A Mercy and may I keep it real by saying Nobel Prize or not, I just don’t understand her writing. The book focuses on slavery and indentured servitude in the Americas in the1680s.
One good part of the book includes the section “You say you see slaves freer than free men. One is a lion in the skin of an ass. The other is an ass in the skin of a lion. That it is the withering inside that enslaves and opens the door for what is wild.”
The last lines in the book are the best: “It was not a miracle. Bestowed by God. It was a mercy. Offered by a human. I stayed on my knees. In the dust where my heart will remain each night and every day until you understand what I know and long to tell you: to be given dominion over another is a hard thing; to wrest dominion over another is a wrong thing: to give dominion of yourself to another is a wicked thing.”
Morrison’s writing has always been over my head and I am man enough to acknowledge my limitations. Can you believe that some small-minded people are bracing for President-Elect Obama’s “dominion” over them; somebody did not play attention in high school government class. Anyway, a person or system can only enslave your body; not your spirit or soul. Obama is one good guy who will govern (not rule over) and people who have never been around good people need some new friends.
Strangely, I am writing about personnel management—I use to be in “personnel hell” while working with good people in an odd operation–“have mercy.” Some former coworkers still complain that they were “done wrong for years.” That statement is a contradiction in terms because no one can do you wrong for years if you are there voluntarily. As Dr. Phil would say, you did yourself wrong for staying in that situation for such a long time. Ms. Morrison said it best when she wrote that it is wicked to give someone dominion over you.
Psalm 34:13-14 Keep thy tongue from evil, And thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and purse it.
(okay, I just added the free Bible to my smart phone; but I am far from righteous…yet) http://www.olivetree.com/resources/bibles/
Rough times at home or work remind me of the quote “all that does not kill you, makes you stronger.” Being in a tough situation can be a welcomed opportunity to grow and develop—some of us grew up soft while others were strengthen by circumstances and conditions that children should not experience.
Reading about Black and White slaves and near-slaves who arrived here in the hulls of ships made me think about Africa. History should remember that President Bush’s policies and efforts in Africa were outstanding and I thank him for that—he actually walked the walk. If two others were not all up in his ear with incorrect counsel, things might have been different. (Like Ms. Morrison, I am going to be peculiarly vague about the “two others” but maybe some Rice would have been better for his Colin than a R.C.)
Unpopular at home, Bush basks in African praise
Banners across the route, decorated with Bush’s image against a backdrop of Tanzania’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, read: “We cherish democracy. Karibu (welcome) to President and Mrs Bush.”
Others read: “Thank you for helping fight malaria and HIV.” Dancers at the airport and at Kikwete’s state house to greet Bush on Sunday, wore skirts and shirts decorated with his face.
Although many Africans, especially Muslims, share negative perceptions of Bush’s foreign policy with other parts of the world, there is widespread recognition of his successful humanitarian and health initiatives on the continent.
Bush has spent more money on aid to Africa than his predecessor, Bill Clinton, and is popular for his personal programs to fight AIDS and malaria and to help hospitals and schools.
Bush has stressed new-style partnerships with Africa based on trade and investment and not purely on aid handouts.
His Millennium Challenge Corp. rewards countries that continue to satisfy criteria for democratic governance, anti-corruption and free-market economic policies.
Project Logic Ga 
Slyram –
Typically when you mix in positive comments about ‘Evil Bush’ in the same article in which you are critical of a “protected Black” you open yourself up to attack.
You did so with both Toni Morrison and Barack Obama.
As painful as it is to see our people behave as they do as if some savior has come upon them – this is a necessary phase. Not that anything magical will come about them but instead because certain fantastical notions will be evaporated.
I noted this past summer while sitting in an airport the day after the Philadelphia police had beaten 3 Black suspects in view of a camera from a helicopter (I will refrain from extra commentary regarding their having earned the beating or not) I watched as a Black mayor and a Black police chief were on national news having to represent the actions of the officers who they command. While the dawn of Black elected leadership is imagined by some to be the dawn of a new day – to the Black people suffering the same abuses from the people at their command – getting your butt whipped by police men commanded by Black leadership is little different than if that leadership was White.
I believe that after this period of time – and we indeed are living through some tumultuous times – the Black community will be changed for the better. Not because Obama is going to ride through the ghetto with an asphalt paving machine, redoing our streets with gold nuggets but because having “risen to the top” and YET STILL the basic problems persisting —— our community will be looking for WHAT’S NEXT.
I will speak for myself with the label “Black conservative” and not make assumptions about you – but at this time there is going to be a need for ALTERNATIVE VOICES that challenge the Black Political machine FROM WITHIN. This will be the difference between Blacks who are drunk with power, despite the continued problems within our community versus Blacks who are more committed to addressing the original reasons that our people took to the streets for political activism.
The reason why you see the behavior that you do see is due to a VOID that is present. Absent the ability to define and construct LOGISTICAL plans and methodologies to get from your present state to your transformed state you become susceptible to mysticism. You put your faith in MAN rather than a system that rationally can take you from your present state to where you need to be. This is a system that ASKS OF YOU rather than rains down upon you.
I say that as a man who is sore presently from having adopted a new exercise regiment that in 90 days promises to have me lose the weight that I want to. The key difference between this program and the “Audacity of Hope” is the repetition and action that are defined, with the hopes that I will transform my sedentary ways and my eating habits.
The job of you and I as social critics is to wrest control from those who have UNCHALLENGED influence upon our people and get our people to, ironically, recommit to what we set out to achieve rather than what they have been drawn into following which has not worked.
Constructive Feedback—if you don’t have one, they should confer upon you a PHD because you are deeper with your analysis than many of these lettered folks walking around our state.
We are in conflicting times and I am constantly contradicting myself regarding thoughts on policies, our nation, our South and our everything else. Like the stuff people pass off as art, I just writing what is on my mind, which reflects haywire things happening today. You are truly a blog assassin and those who enter a philosophical debate with you will find themselves in bad shape—like the guy who goes bear hunting with a switch.
The mix comments are an attempt to gleam the positive and negative aspects of any leaders’ actions. On some level, I am prepping for the negative folks who want to shoot down everything the next White House does just because they don’t like losing power. If moderates gave the previous presidents a fair chance, liberals and conservatives should do the same for the president-elect.
Yes, some new voters are so ill-informed that they think the Republicans currently control the Congress but hey, I welcome their civic involvement. These same voters will quickly learn that Obama is not the fix all for everything from tooth decay to sick yaks in Mongolia.
A charismatic leader like Kennedy, Reagan and FDR must appeal to the nation to “ask not what this…..” In fairness, I think McCain and Obama attempted to help the citizens know that the road ahead would be difficult and long.